Thursday, August 09, 2007

On the day I left Penang, I read on papers, there were someone who was extremely unhappy (jealous, from my point of view) of JK Rowling. He says that he couldn’t believe a woman who makes huge profits by writing death-themed children books.

I bought “Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows” on the day it was placed on the shelves. And 2 days later, I had finished one third of it. A week later, I only left 150 pages. So forgive me for only finishing it today. It was not as what the bloke wrote on the papers. Harry Potter series have been very successful and I must agree with Ms Rowling that this, the latest and the last, is her best. The main theme is not death. It is “not to fear death”. For those who’ve read it, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Those who did not, then you should. Don’t worry about having not read the previous installments before because you can find synopsis in Wikipedia.

This book is definitely worth every penny. The imagination of Ms Rowling keeps on impressing readers. It teaches every reader about good v evil, that how a good man, a kind hearted ones, unselfish, loyal, a loved and loves, always win. Somehow. Since book one this had been the main idea. Remember why Harry found the Philosopher’s stone suddenly is in his pocket? Because one who sought after it will never find it.

And I’m really glad that after all these years of popularity and celebrity status of her own and also Harry Potter, she has not forgotten, or lose the main element of the book. Sometimes when I read, I tend to put Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and other movie actors in the story, and you’d find that it gets strange sometimes, and you’d remember that this is the way they have always act in books, that this is the Hermione, Harry, Hagrid, Dumbledore, Ron were in Philosopher’s, Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban!!

Ms Rowling exploits the power of mankind’s struggle for Love and Power, which keeps on repeating throughout our history, like Voldermort, you can relate him to Hitler. His death eaters are Nazis. And also discrimination, where wizards are considered as wand-holders, that they keep slaves, called House Elfs and Goblins too.

Besides the reality, we can always find a spring of delight from Ms Rowling’s Midas touch on magic, like the behavior of wands, Invisibility Cloak, Elder Wand, Resurrection Stone, 9 and 3 quarters station, and my favourite of all, The Maurauder’s Map.

In short, this book does not mislead readers, notably children in any way. The language are not too difficult, while continues the tradition of excellent English by the British writers. People uses ‘A must read’ too often that it has lost its meaning. I’m not an avid reader; I only read leisurely, so when I recommend it must have got something worth looking and special. A MUST READ.